By Marianne Merritt Talbot
I love the autumn in Park Slope! I’m so happy it’s time for boots, hot coffee, jackets, the changing foliage, and soon the spooky Halloween decorations that pop up on every stoop!
In addition to the shift in our fashions and the energy in the air, here is an exercise for you to shift your intentions into what you want to create this fall with you individually, as well as your family.
Sit down at a beautiful place in your home with a lovely sheet (or sheets) of stationery, and your favorite pen. Write out what you want to create for yourself and your family between today and January. Perhaps it is an insanely fun Halloween party. To have more R&R time with the kids. To get away for a holiday with your husband sans children. To get a wonderfully big bonus so you can treat your family to extra-special holiday presents. Perhaps it is as simple as you want to cook more meals at home and watch less television.
Other example: do a list for yourself that sets forth what you want to create professionally (income, new clients, experiences, etc.); personally (relationships, personal time, classes, etc.); health and wellness (going to the gym, yoga, cutting down on dairy and meat); and style (clean out your closets and think about what styles you wish to rock this season!).
You can do the same with your kids! Sit down with them and ask them what they want to create this autumn in terms of family, friends, extra-curricular activities, and grades. Use this time to share your thoughts, feelings, and goals - perhaps some of them have never been articulated before. This is a wonderful practice with your children to have them focusing with greater deliberation and intention on what they want to do with themselves and with their lives, no matter how young they are!
Hang your lists in a visible place - your refrigerator, for example. Each time you or your kids do something that satisfies one of your intentions, check it off your list.
If you have never done something like this before -try it! Notice how setting forth your future with intention makes you feel. I hope this exercise makes you feel great and that you accomplish some really great things this fall!
“Marianne Merritt Talbot is a former litigator and law professor who now runs a lifestyle and career coaching company called Modern Venus Ltd. She absolutely adores living in Park Slope and can be found on any given morning running around Prospect Park or nibbling on something at Sweet Melissa’s! Marianne’s coaching style is comprehensive, as she focuses on all areas of a woman’s life including career, well-being, creativity, balance, relationships, stress management, and even personal and professional style. She is a featured expert on various websites, including LadyAdvisor.com (where she also has a beauty blog), RealBeautyIs.com, and of course Hip Slope Mama! Marianne sees clients both in Park Slope and at her office in the West Village and is happy to give a free consultations for any reader of Hip Slope Mama. For more information about Marianne, including her background, services, and many testimonials from happy clients, please visit www.ModernVenus.net. She is also launching an organic skincare line in late 2008 called Modern Venus Organics – stay tuned for more information!”
.jpg){kind=logo}
